Detachable lock fastener



CLI

Patented May 6, 1924.

i 1,493,138 Prsurl orrflfc'irz.v

DANIEL M. WINANS, OF- BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE BREWER- TITCHENER CORPORATION, OF CORTLAND, NEW YORK, L CORPORATION OF DETACHABLE LOCK Fl-LSTE'N'IEITR'.`

Application filed December 1, 1923. Serial No. 677,950.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, DANIEL M. VVINA'NS, a citizen of the nited States, and a resident of Binghamton land the county of Broome and the .State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Lock Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a novel detachable fastener for vehicle curtains, gloves, belts, brief cases and similar purposes, where it is desiredr to securely fasten and hold any two fabric flap sections together and yet be able quickly and conveniently to detach same when so desired.

The object of this invention is to produce a neat and efficient fastener', more especially such as are adapted to be used in connection with motor-car or carriage curtains, and allow of positively locking or unlocking such curtains to an` undercut stud-post attached to either the body of the car or to another section of curtain fabric.

A further object is to provide an improved tongue and groove type of lock fastening device that will be simple and economical to manufacture and that will require a deliberate unlatching manipulation before the curtain can be removed from the stud-post 4with which it may be engaged.

As regards the old style turn-button type of fastener, this usually employs light springs for imparting a snap action to the button. After a prolonged period of service, Such springs tend to rust or stick and otherwise become inoperative7 and these defects are foundto seriously impair the usefulness of such devices.l

In the case of the one-way snap fastener, this type must usually be lifted in a certain definite direction .of movement by manipulating curtain fabric to which the socket is attached. The considerable pull that must be exerted upon the fabric to unsnap this type of curtainfastener-and .the

y a counter pressure to be exerted against the y opposite curtain carrying the stud-post member "of such fasteners, all of which types and otherwise affordsome important y advantages. A

The present invention provides for a combination of lock and snap fastener means f that can readily be l-atched or unlatched at will -by means of a control lever. When the latch is positively held out of engagementu by said lever, the cap or fem-aley member of this fastener can be freely detached from its coacting grooved stud or male member without having to overcome any snap action whatsoever. The control or actuating lever is provided with a convenient outstanding handle and there is therefore no need for taking hold of any portion of the curtain to manipulate this type of fastener. Should it be desired .to remount the fastener upon its stud-post, vthe removed socket is again ready to freely enter the stud without any snap action, but k,the curtainmay be subsequently locked into place by simply releasing the latching mechanism. If, on the other hand, it is desired to release the latch prior `to remounting the curtain upon its studfpost,giny device isk then capable of operating' as a snap fastener per se, with the difference over previous devices that the curtain automatically -becomes positively locked after being snapped in place and cannotfthereafter be removed from its stud-post until the actuating lever is again thrown into the proper position for disengaging the latch tongue from its `locking groove. i

Einbodied herein.' are also other features of structure and lorganization designed to facilitate the manufacture` of vsaid `.fasteners and application of same to curtainfabrics, all of which will be set forth in detail here inafter. p y

Reference ,is had to the accompanying' one sheetl drawing which illustrates an eX- ample of the preferred form `offwmy `invention, likeV characters of reference indicate ,like parts inthe several views, and in which drawing; Figgl4 is a detailed View in. partial` sec tion of the assembled: socket member" of fastener showing the relation of parts prior to engaging the stud-post.

Fig. 2 is an elevational front view of Fig. l, showing the dished cap parts of the socket member with the bail-shaped actuating lever placed in its mid-position.

Fig. 3 is an elevational rear view of Fig. l, taken along the line 3 3.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the assembled socket member as it appears when'engaged with and locked to the stud-post, the actuating lever being thrown into its eXtreme lower position,

Fig. 5 is an elevational front view of Fig. Il, as taken in partial section along the line 5--5 to show the tongue and groove method oflocking the socket member to the studpost.

Fig. 6 is a side view of Fig. 5, and indicates the cam element whereby a lateral movement is imparted to legs of the actuating lever for the purpose of engaging or disengaging the latching mechanism.

Fig. 7 represents the backing or clinch plate which is mounted in the opposite side of the curtain fabric and engages the prongs on the dished cap of the socket mem- Fig. 8 represents the intermediate washer plate which is mounted between the cap and the fabric and serves to re-enforce the latter, and also to hold the various parts in assembled relation.

Fig. 9 shows a plan view of the dished cap provided with prongs and also journal recesses for fulcruming the bail shaped actuating lever.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the cap showing the journal recess as taken along the center line l0*10 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional detail of the cap showing the cam elements as taken along the line Vll*l1 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 shows a detail of the resilient bail-` shaped actuating lever of this fastener.

Fig. 13 indicates a modified stud-post attached to one fabric flap while the socket part is attached to an independent flap for the purposeof fastening such curtains together.

Fig. 14 shows an elongated stud-post upl on which are mounted two distinct socket members, each fastened to separate curtain fabrics. t

The constructive means whereby the indicated results are attained reside in part in the novel method of mounting a resilient bail-shaped actuating orcontrol lever within the socket cap element of this device.

Referring first to Figs. 9 and 10, these show thedished-shaped or recessed socket cap,y designated in its entirety as A. having a'flati'crown A1 with raised cylindrically shaped sidewall A2. Formed integral with said sidewall are a set of relatively long prongs such as A3, while the center of the crown A1 is preferably perforated with a hole or aperture A4. In addition, there are provided several shorter prongs such as A7 which are oppositely disposed and used to assemble the cap, as will appear presently. The side wall A.2 is further provided with two aligned and oppositely disposed recessed slots or notches A5 and AG, which serve as bearings for mounting the aligned fulcrum tongues of the control lever.

rlthe last named lever designated in its entirety as B, is preferably made of suitably gauged spring wire and may be bent into a horse-shoe or bail-shaped contouras is best shown in Fig.fl2. This resilient bail type lever is provided with a loop portion or handle B1 whose legs B2 and B3 are respectively bent to lie in a common plane and when mounted inplace, said legs areintended to be sprung apart somewhat into the position indicated in Fig' 5. Furthermore,

each of the leg ends are sharply bent in wardly to form the aligned double fulcrum tongues B4 and B5 respectively, and these are pointed toward each other to constitute a common fulcrum axis about which the lever is adapted to turn. The initial set given to the legs B2 and B3 causes them to maintain a firm contact with respect to the adjacent side walls of the socket cap A when the fulcruin tongues B4and B5 are mounted in their respective journal recesses A5 and AG.

lt will also be seen that the ends of the tongues B4 and B5 are partially liattened off in the plane of the bailloop and these flattened faces serve as latch tongues which are made to engage or disengage with the under-v cut `groove of the stud-post E of the male portion of this fastener, all of which will be more fully explained hereinafter.

As shown in Fig. 8, thel intermediate washer plate C is provided with a central hole (l, and also with a series of circumsrriliing perfor-ations such as C3 which register with the cap prongs A3 and allow these to freely pass through the washer. The washer is further perforated with another set of holes such as C2, adapted to register with. the shorter cap prongs AT which center the socket cap A with respect to the washer C. After the control lever `B is properly mounted within the cap A as shown in Figs.k

l and lv` the washer Cy is pressed firmly against the free circular edge of the cap side walls A2 and the designated parts are held together by clinching said shorter prongs AT over the washer 'C to constitute an assembled socket unit.v

The assembled socket is then mounted upon one side of the curtain fabricas is best shown in Figs.- 1 and 2. The set of longer prongs such as A3 are made to pierce the curtain fabric F. and engage withthe backing plate D which is mounted on the opposite side of the fabric and'clinched in the conventional manner indicated in Fig. 3. The fabric is also pierced with a hole that registers and aligns with those provided in the concentric plates C and D. The term fabric is used herein in its generic sense and is intended to include cloth, leather, fiber, sheet metal or any similar materials to which it may be desired to attach the cap of the fastener.

Referring in detail to Fig. 7, it will be noted that the backing plate D is provided with slots such as D1 that register with the longer prongs A3 of the cap part. This plate is also provided with a central hole D2 which slips freely over the stud-post E. W'hile the intermediate washer C and the backing plate Dserve to reinforce the fabric and properly tie the cap A thereto, it will be evident that these plates C and D do not constitute an essential feature of the socket member of the presentinvention, since the cap can readily be secured to the fabric by equivalent means.

Referring further to the constructive details of the dished socket cap A of this fastener, it will be seen that its raised side wall A2 is peculiarly shaped and fashioned into ay set of cam elements adapted to engage with the respective legs o-f the bail-shaped control lever for the purpose of actuating same.

The cap is preferably provided with a double set of cam elements each similar to the one designated as AS. As is best shown in Figs. 6, 9 and 1l, these elements are oppositely disposed with respect to the two journal slots A5 and A., and arranged as duplicate pairs of cam elements. Each such element consists of an undercut recess formed in the raised peripheral side wall A2 of the cap, which recess extends along the cap edge in the manner indicated in crosssection in Fig. 1l." Either pair of such cam recesses are adapted to receive the respective .leg portions B2 and B?. of the bail lever and co-act therewith in such manner that when the loop of the control lever B is thrown into its mid-position, which is in substantial alignment with the socket axis, the outermost edges of said cam faces will then become engaged with the bail'legs and cause the actuated fulcrum tongues B4 and B., to

be drawn apart and thus separate the gap between the points thereof.

It will be evident that the resiliency l ascribed to the bail-shaped lever at all times holds the legs thereof in closey contact with the cam contour. Hence when the bail loop is thrown back into one or the other ofits extreme positions to either side of the midposition. such as is shown in Fig. 4, the bail legs will drop into the undercut cam recess and allow the tongues B,L and B5 to spring f together into the position shown in Fig. 5.

If, on the other hand, the control lever is again raised into alignment with its socket axis, the relatively large movement given to said lever will only impart a small lateral movement to the actuated bail legsB2 and Bw This lateral movement given the bail legs positively open the gap between the tongue ends B, and B5 and this serves todisengage the socket ymember from its studpost E. i i r Referring now to Fig. l, the described socket member. is shown with the control lever thrown out into mid-position, which in turn holds the tongues apart so that the socket may slip freely over the stud-post E, or male member of this fastener. This post is provided with a conical head E1 which is spaced from the stud proper by an undercut neck portion -to form the groove E2. `The projecting portion of this head is rounded off to facilitate the entrance of same into the socket aperture. It will be apparent that the groove E2 need not be concentric as shown, since an undercut recess of any kind can be made to serve the same purpose.

The essential feature ofsaid post construction lies in the provision for a sharp recessed edge formed behind the head E1 with which the fulcrum tongues B and B5 may properly engage. shown in Fig. l is provided with a shanrE3 adapted to be driven or screwed into `t'he body portion E4 of a vehicle or the like to which it is desired to yfasten the curtain fabric F. l i

Figs. 13 and l/ipresent a modified type of stud-post. The first named figure indicates a stud-post E5 fastened to a second fabric flap F1 by means of a suitable reenforcing washer EG clinched to .the fabric F.. The socket member may then be secured Vto an independent fabric F2 in a manner identical to that previously described in connection with Figs. l and 3. i

As a further modification in type of stud- The particuler type of stud-post post7 Fig. 14 shows anelongated doublestud E7 similar to that shown in Fig. l, except that it is equipt to mounttwo curtains F, and F47 each provided with independent socket members Gr, and G2 respectively. The socket G1 is shown as provided .with the cap hole A4 as in Fig. 9.. while in the socketG2, this hole is avoided by providingthe cap crown with a closed hump portion A10 made to clear the projecting lstud head vE1 as shown.. Having described the constructive details of this device, the mode of operationof the various parts may be traced as follows:

Figs. 4t and 5 show the relative position of the fastener members after the stud-post E, or male' element, has engaged thecap parts, or female element, of this device. It will be noted that the control lever. B is now thrown down intorone of its extreme or flush positions which lie substantially normal to the socket axis. From the foregoing description it will be evident that the fulcrum tongues B4 and B5 will then drop into the stud groove E2 and become positively interlocked therewith. The flat faces provided upon each of the tongue ends will be snugly seated behind the undercut groove edge of the stud head El. The resiliency given the control lever B and the fact that the legs thereof are constantly pressing inwardly against the recessed cam element such as AS, holds the bail loop in place until such time that it is desired to lift the control lever into its mid or unlatched position.

Should it be desired to maintain said lever in its disengaged position while manipulating the fastener, a shallow notch such as A9 as shown in Fig. 6 may be provided, which is intended to register with the respective legs whenever the bail is raised into its mid or unlatched position as shown in Fig. l.

Vhen the controllever stands in the last named position, the actuated tongue points B4 and B will be positively held apart by the described cam action and said tongues will be fully disengaged from the stud-post groove E2. rlhis action allows the socket member of this curtain fastener to. be freely separated from the stud. The projecting bail loop at the same time aords a cons venient handle for manipulating the curtain.

It will be apparent that the socket member may readily be removed from, or replaced on, the stud E while the control lever B remains in alignment with the socket aXis as shown in Fig. l. Assuming the stud has been made to enter the socket to the extent as indicated in Fig. 4, the bail lever may thereafter be snapped down into its extreme position and the cam action will then release the forced spacing of the tongues BL1 and B5 and allow these points to become interlocked with the undercut shoulder of the stud head El. The socket cap member thereby becomes positively locked with respect to the stud and cannot be removed therefrom until the tongue points are again withdrawn from the groove E by manipulating the control lever and throwing same into its mid-position.

The advantage in keeping the control lever B in its mid-position while the stud-post enters the socket member, lies in ythe absence of all unnecessary resistance between the male and female parts, and this is especially of advantage when two curtains are to be fastened together in the manner indicated in Fig. 13.

On the other hand, if prior to forcing the socket into the engaged position upon the stud-post, it is preferred to throw down the control lever into either of its extreme positions such as is indicated in Fig. 4, the cam elements will then release the spaced fulclulll tongues IB2 and B3 and allow said socket to operate in the manner of a snap fastener. A distinction over the conventional snap fastener lies in the fact that said tongues become locked with respect to the stud groove E2 and that the present invention provides conve-nient means for positive unlatching the male and female members of this fastener.

lt will be seen therefore that the control of the locking and unlocking of the socket member with respect to the stud-post is preferably placed in the resilient bail-shaped 1evcr. Then said lever is thrown into either of its extreme positions and flush with the face of the curtain fabric, there will be no projections of any kind and the fastener will present a neat and finished appearance to the eye. Owing to the symmetry of design, the actuating lever may be thrown to either side of its mid-position and held therein until it is desired to remove the socket, and during such time the curtain will remain positively locked to its stud-post.

To unmouut the curtain, it is simply necessary to raise the bail loop into its mid or unlatched position when the socket may be freely removed from its stud.v It will be apparent therefore that these desirable advantages are attained in an extremely simple manner and that the described fastener is eminently suited to the purpose intended.

The fact that the manipulating handle B is made to stand out normal to the plane of the fabric when it is desired to disengage the fastener, is a feature of special significance as applied to automotive purposes in that the intended purpose of said handle is perfectly obvious to unskilled users and would thus be intuitively operated in its proper manner.

It is not essential to provide for the duplicate tongue and groove locking device as formed by bending the double fulcrum tongues B.X 'and B5 since the use of but one of such locking device can be made to serve the same purpose. It will also be understood that the cap and other socket parts herein disclosed is readily subject to modification in construction, and that various other changes in the details of my device may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, heretofore described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Claims:

l. In a detachable lock fastener device comprising a male part having a groove, a female member, a control lever for the last named member provided with tongue means adapted to interlock with said groove, anda cam element for actuating said lever adapted to positively disengage said tongue from the groove when the lever is swung about its fulcrum.

2. ln a detachable lock fastener device comprising a male part having a groove, a

female member, a control lever for the last named member provided with a tongue means adapted to interlock with said groove and further provided with a leg member eX- tending from the lever fulcrum, and a cam element adapted to actuate said leg for the purpose of disengaging said tongue from the groove when the lever is swung about its fulcrum.

3. In a detachable lock fastener device comprising a male part having a groove, a female member comprising a socket cap, a resilient bail shaped control lever for the female member provided with tongue means adapted to interlock with said groove, and a pair of cam elements for said cap adapted to actuate the legs of said lever and serving to Jositivel disenoave said tono'ue means b b C from the groove when said lever is swung about its fulcrum.

4C.' In -a detachable lock fastener device comprising a male part having a groove, a female member comprising a socket cap, a resilient bail shaped control lever provided with aligned'fulcrum tonguesoppositely disposed froni the bail legs, means for mounting said fulcrum tongues within said cap and for interlocking said tongues with said groove, and a pair of cam'elements adapted to actuate said legs and serving to positively disengage said tongues when said lever is swung about its fulcrum.

5. In a detachable lock fastener device comprising a male part having a groove, a female member comprising a socket cap, a fabric, means for attaching said cap to the fabric, a control lever for the female member, a tongue means adapted to interlock the cap with said groove, and a cam element adapted to actuate said tongue when said lever is swung about its fulcrum and serving to hold said tongue out of engagement when said lever is placed in or near its mid-position.

6. In a combination lock and-snap fastener device comprising a male part having a groove, a female member comprising a socket cap, a fabric, means for attaching said cap to the fabric, a control lever for the female member, a resilient tongue means adapted to interlock the cap with said groove, and means for latching said tongue into the groove when the lever is swung into either of its extreme positions and for positively disengaging said tongue from the u l l mediate position.

O'roove when the lever is placed in an intertongue when said lever is swung about its fulcrum, said element serving to disengagesaid tongue when the lever is placed in a predetermined position and to vlatch said tongue into the groove when said lever is,

moved into another position substantially ldifferent from the aforesaid position.

8. In a detachable lock fastener vdevice comprising a male part having a groove,a

fabric, a control lever for the female member, a .resilient tongue4 means adapted to latch the cap into said groove, and a camv element adapted to actuate said tongue when said lever is swung labout its fulcrumsaid yelement serving to hold said tongue'out of engagement with the vgroove when it is desired to separate the male part from the female member and further being adapted to release and latch said tongue intoy said groove subsequent to remounting the female member upon the male part. y 9. In a combined lock and snap rfastenerdevice comprising a male ypart having a groove, afemale member, 'a control lever for the last named member, a resilient tongue means adapted to latch said female member to tlie male part, and a cam element adapted to actuate said tongue when said lever is swung about its fulcrum, said element being adapted to hold said tongue out of engage-` ment when it is desired to separate the male part from the female member and being further adapted to allow -of effective snap action on part of said tongue prior to reinounting the female member upon the male part.

l0. In a detachable fastener device compi-ising a male part having a groove, a female member comprising a socket cap of circular contour, a fabric, integral prong iiieaiis for attaching the cap to the fabric, a journal recess for said cap, substantially aligned with the axis thereof, a control lever provided with a fulcrum tongue mounted in said recess, and a cam element formed in said cap adapted to positively separate said tongue from said groove when lever is swung about its fulcrum. A

11. In a detachable fastener device comprising a male part having a groove, a female member comprising a socket cap of circular contour, a control lever provided with a fulcrum tongue mounted in substantial aligninent with the axis of said cap, and a cam element formed in said cap adapted to positively withdraw said tongue when the lever is swung about its fulcrum.

12. In a detachable fastener device comprising a male part having a groove, a female member comprising a cap, a curtain fabric, means for attachinglsaid cap to the fabric, a control lever provided with a fulcrum tongue adapted to engage said groove,

vnormal relation to the fabric face whenever said tongue is disengaged from its groove.

13. In a detachable lock fastener device comprising` a male member having a groove, a female member comprising a surrounding socket cap, a control lever for the female member, said lever having a fulcrum Whose axis is positioned substantially normal to the axis of the socket part, a tongue means associated with said fulcrum adapted to interlock the male and female members, and a cam element for the cap serving to disengage said tongue. means when the lever is swung across the axis of the female member.

14. A" socket for a vehicle curtain fastener, having an aperture to receive a grooved stud7 and a locking member consisting of a wire loop having its ends journaled into opposite sides of said socket substantially in alignment with the aperture axis and extending inwardly into said aperture to form a tongue means for said groove, the locking member being adapted to be swung about its ends to bring said tongue into locking engagement with said stud groove in either limit of its travel and to disengage the stud in an intermediary position.

15. A socket for a vehicle curtain fastener having an aperture and a recess formed therein, adapted respectively to receive a grooved stud and a wire spring locking member, said member having its fulcrum ends disposed in substantial alignment with said aperture axis andy extending inwardly toward the aperture to form a tongue means adapted to engage the stud groove when the locking member is swung into its locking position and to disengage said tongue when said member is moved into its unlocking position.

In testimony whereof I have herewith set my hand this 28th day of November, 1923,

\ DANIEL M. IVINANS.

Vitnesses:

D. A. BREWER, J. H. PIERCE. 

